Hydraulic drilling lift and packer therefor



Jam 5, 1954 B. F. SCHMIDT HYDRAULIC DRILLING LIFT AND PACKER THEREFOR Filed March 24, 1949 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE HYDRAULIC DRILLING LIFT AND PACKER IHEREFQR,

This invention relates to and in general has forfj its object the provision oi packing means for effecting a running seal between a cylinder or casing and apiston or plunger arranged to reciprecate therein.

Ordinarily the cylinders of hydraulic lifts are free of joints throughout their length and consequently no particular diiiiculty is experienced in making and maintaining a fluid tight seal between it and its associated plunger. Where, however, itis desired that the stroke of a lift be eX- tremely long, as in the case of the lift disclosed in the Mason Patent 2,240,79i ofi-May 6, i941, its Qylndr or casing must bemade up or joined sections. 'In such cases conventional methods oi' sealing the plunger to its casing fail primarily because of the joints between the pipe sections.

More specically then the object of this invention is the provision of packing means for effecta running hydraulic seal between a jointed casing and its plunger. The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description where that form of the invention which has been selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specication is outlined in full. In said drawings, one form of the invention is shown, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to such form, since the invention as set forth in the claims may be embodied ina plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a schematic, vertical cross-sectional view ofa casing and plunger embodying the objects of my invention.

Fig, 2 is a fragmentary, longitudinal mid-section taken through a casing and plunger sealed with a packer embodying the objects of my invention.

Fig.`3 is an elevation oi' the packer shown in Fig. 2 with a portion of its rubber covering broken away better to illustrate its sectionalized construction. A

`The hydraulic lift illustrated in Fig. l comprises a cylinder or easing generally designated by the reference numeral I and made up of joined sections 2. Each end of each of the casing sections 2 is provided .with a ,flange 3 by which they are bolted together to form an integral casing oi extendedlength. Disposed Within the casing I is a 'cylindrical plunger Il of an outer diameter somewhat smaller than the internal diameter o the casing. Preferably the upper and lower end of the plunger are rounded as at ed and t so as to 2 enable itr to enter and pass through the packers associated with the casing I. Sealed over the lower end ofthe casing I is a lower casing head 6 and extending therethrough in communication with the interior of the casing is an outlet pipe 'l provided with a valve 8. Sealed to the upper end of the casing I is an upper casing head 9 provided With a'central opening ID. Communicating with they upper end oi the casing is a valved controlled inlet pipe Il.

Fastened to the upperv end of the plunger 4 coaxially therewith, is a tube I2 arranged to telescopically receive a'tube I2a. The tube l2a is in turn arranged totelescopically receive a tube I2b which in turn telescopically receives a tube I2C. The upper end of the tube I2C is fastened and sealed to the upper casing head 9 and the tubes I2, Ia, I2b and I2c are designed to have a liquid tight ruiming ilt with each other. Extending through the hole I0 of tile upper casing head Si and through the tubes 12o, |21), Ia and I2 is a cable I3, fastened at its lower end to the upper end of the plunger 4. The telescopic tubes therefore serve to prevent the passage of iiud around the cable'lfl and into the casing 2.

Fastened to and within each casing section 2 are a number of longitudinally spaced rubbercovered packers generally designated by the reference numeral I4 and of an inner diameter and of a construction which will serve to effect a running s'eal with the plunger il. As shown in Fig. 1, the longitudinal spacing of the packers i4 should be so correlated with respect to the length of the plunger 4 that at least two packers are always in sealing engagement with the plunger even when the plunger lies adjacent one oi the casing joints.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each of the packers l-l includes a metal cylindrical core generally designated vby the reference numeral I5 and split longitudinally into three equal sections each sub..- tending an angle of substantially 120. As shown in Fig. 3, the longitudinal edges of each of the three' core sections are crenelated as at It, the crenellations on one edge of one section being oiset relative to the crenellations oi the adjacent edge of the adjacent sections, so that the adjacent crenell'ations can be interdigit'ated, By resorting to a longitudinally split core of' vthis fashion the resulting cylindrical structure is capable of radial expansion and contraction.

Formed on the outer surface of each end of the core I5 is an undercut channel I'i and similarly formed on its inner surface and intermediate its ends are undercut channels It. Extending `running seal with the outer surface of the plunger 4. The undercut channels I1 and I8 and the holes I9 are of course filled with rubber when the rubber covering 2| is molded to the packer core I5 and serve to effect a better bond between these elements.

To fasten the packers I4 to the casing 2 they are provided with peripherally spaced, threaded bores 22 arranged to receive screws 23 extending inwardly thereinto through the casing. In addition to this, channels 24 are molded into the outer surface of the rubber covering 2|, these channels being defined on one side by straight shoulders 25 and on their opposite sides with the inclined shoulders 26. Accommodated within each of the channels 24 is a ring 2l having a cylindrical outer surface and an inner surface conforming to the contour of the channel. Extending through the casing 2 at peripherally, spaced points are screws 28 having threaded engagement with the ring 21. The rings 21 therefore serve to hold the packers against longitudinal movement relative to the casing 2,

To ensure a perfect fluid tight seal between each packer and its casing section and between each packer and the plunger 4, the outer ends of the rubber covering 2| are provided with a V-shaped channel 3l defined by resilient wedge-shaped lips 32. To further increase the resiliency of the lips 32, the side walls of the rubber covering 2| adjacent the lips 32 are inwardly dished as at 33. Formed on the inner surface of the rubber covering 2| are a number of undercut grooves 34 defming fiexible lips 35 arranged to be forced inwardly against the surface of the plunger 4 by any fluid which may pass between the rubber covering 2l and the plunger 4 into the channel 34. It should be here noted that as shown in Fig. 2 there are two such circular lips 35 directed to the lower end of the packer and two similar lips 35 directed to the upper end of the packer. Formed on the outer surface of the rubber covering2| is an undercut channel 36 dened by opposed Wedgeshaped lips 31 and accommodated `within this channel is a spring band 38 serving to hold the two wedge-shaped lips 31 outwardly in fluid sealing engagement with the inner walls of the casing 2.

Due to the resiliency of the rubber covering 2| and due to the fact that the core I5 is split longitudinally into three sections and is radially contractible, the packers I4 can be readily inserted into the casing 2 and brought into proper longitudinal alignment with the screws 23 and 28. Upon screwing home these screws the outer surface of the rubber covering 2| of each packer is brought into fluid tight sealing engagement with the inner surface of the casing 2. The existence of fluid pressure on the lower end of the packer as viewed in Fig. 2 serves to force the wedgeshaped lips 32 into sealing engagement with the inner walls of the casing 2 and the outer walls of the plunger 4. If by chance any fluid passes between these lips and the plunger 4 such fluid will be received in the channels 34 and therefore serve to force the lips into fluid tight sealing engagement with the plunger l4. The operation of the corresponding lips on the upper end of the packer is of course similar but in the reverse direction to that just described.

It will therefore be seen that a packer of this construction serves to form an effective seal between the associated casing and plunger irrespective of the direction of the fluid pressure to which the system is subjected. Since these packers are so positioned longitudinally of the casing 2 that the plunger 4 is always in sealing engagement with at least two of the packers even when passing over one of the casing joints, there is no necessity for finishing the interior surface of the casing 4 or of attempting to produce accurate joints between thecasing sections.

I claim:A

1. A packing including a unitary cylindrical sleeve of deformable material having an imbedded rigid core comprising longitudinally split sections and means for securing the core to a pump, ment, said means including a rigid ring loosely mounted within a groove of said core, and means securing said ring to said pump element,

2. A packing including a unitary cylindrical sleeve of deformable material having an embedded rigid core comprising longitudinally split sections and means for securing the core to a pump element, said means including a pair of spaced rigid rings loosely mounted in a pair of spaced grooves in said core, and means securing said ring to said pump'element.

3.'A packing including a unitary cylindrical sleeve of deformable material having an embedded rigid core comprising longitudinally split sections and means for securing the core to a pump ele- -ment, said means including a pair of spaced rigid rings loosely mounted in a pair of spaced grooves in said core, means securing said ring to said pump element, and means directly engaging said pump element with said core.

BENJAMIN F. SCHM'IDT.

Y References cited in the fue of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 341,973 Watson May 18, 1886 447,261 Shortt Feb. 24, 1891 600,961 Burnett Mar. 22, 1898 619,784 Perry Feb. 21, 1899 786,697 Wackenhuth Apr. 4, 1905 1,456,166 Wilcox May 22, 1923 1,671,978 Carroll June 5, 1928 1,813,402 Hewitt July 7,1931 1,918,442 Baash et al July 18, 1933 2,079,949 Novati May 11, 1937 2,227,771 Victor et al Jan. 7, 1941 2,244,135 Wallace June 3, 1941 2,259,432 Failing et al Oct. 14, 1941 2,391,159 Hermansen Dec, 18, 1945 2,402,114 Le Clair June 11, 1946 2,417,828 Joy Mar. 25, 1947 2,430,836 Taylor Nov. 11, 1947 2,443,332 summers June 15, 1948 2,464,653 Phipps Mar. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 556,346 Great Britain of 1943 700,403 Germany of 1940 

